DECENT Mikey pictures! *13 pictures* and ONE training question!

[Alysser]

GIVE DA TREAT!

Anyway, I also have a few training questions..now like I said, he is doing well with the whistle recall I'm doing. I've only been doing it for three days, but it seems that he's only listening for treats to me..but then again when I trained with Sassy she was the same way but eventually listened to me w/o treats. I just don't want him to think he's gonna be getting treats ALL the time after he's done with this training. And sometimes, even when he knows there aren't treats..he walks away but he will usually come when I blow the whistle. I'm just worried because sometimes he'll follow me because he KNOWS I have treats which is of course exactly what I want him to do, but I just want to be careful. Thanks for any tips!

[Freedom]

You captured great shots, keep the new camera! He heee.

I laughed at the "perfecting the down," he's even lowered his head a bit -- " is this down enough?" Ha ha haaaa

You mentioned not using the tie out in future -- is there a fence? I'd hate to have him leave the yard!

About treats. We were taught that "come" always gets rewarded with treats. Always, for the dog's life, furever. Because you don't want to take chances with this, you could be calling him to save his life. Other commands, with time we phase out the treats and reward with praise and cuddles, but "come" always get the full treatment: treat, dancing, clapping, cuddles, you name it.

Worse case, the dog has gotten away from you and is heading for a busy road. You need to know that dog is going to stop, turn and COME. And yes your heart will still be pounding, thinking of the "what if."

For the other commands, with a one hour training course once a week, and 2 training sessions per day of 15 minutes, we start phasing out treats for the initial commands on week 6. IF -- and only if -- the dog is doing the action correctly each and every time. Other commands, we are phasing out treats on our own after class has finished (or if we attended the next level, it is part of that course). Phasing out means sometimes you treat, sometimes you just to the praise and petting. First every other time, then every 3rd time, and so forth. For the life of the dog, there will be times you return to the treats, to re enforce the command. With luck, you do this BEFORE the dog forgets and ignores you, lol. Does this help?

[Taz_Zoee]

I know some people do not use treats at all to train for this reason. You won't always have treats with you necessarily. But I do believe in the way that Sandie described. You eventually wean out using the treats. So they just never know if you are going to give them a treat or not. But they better come find out just in case.

Oh LOVE the pictures too!!